Ditched
by takitaka
Summary: Gone cupboard shopping with L, will be 2h late if everything goes fine, love xox "So they like, ditched us."


It was official now, Estonia thought, looking at Poland's less than amused face. Latvia was a bastard. Latvia and Lithuania both; and Poland would agree, especially now, Estonia was sure he would.

Or maybe not. He'd definitely agree about Lithuania because that's how Poland and Lithuania were, calling each other names, not quite behind each other's back because they both knew exactly what the other was thinking of them.

There was a certain fondness for Latvia, though, in Poland. Estonia supposed it was the same sort of fondness that Poland had for him; fierce protectiveness, not unlike the one he harbored for Lithuania, but also some softer, almost shy form of affection.

Affection that definitely wasn't present in Poland's eyes now, after Estonia read aloud what Latvia had texted him:

_Gone cupboard shopping with L, will be 2h late if everything goes fine, love xox_

Estonia's analytic mind deciphered the message immediately:

_Gone cupboard shopping with L._ – "I've kidnapped Lithuania".

_Will be 2h if everything goes fine_ – "we'll be taking our sweet time".

_Love xox_ – "you have only yourself to blame because you promised to go buy that stupid cupboard with me two months ago and have been only finding excuses ever since, I hope Poland drives you absolutely crazy, you fucker".

"So they like, ditched us."

And bless Poland for summarizing it for him.

It wasn't in Poland's nature to get put off for long, though, Estonia knew that much. And sure enough, when Estonia was still thinking about all the ways in which he could make Latvia pay for it later, there was already a bright smile on his companion's face.

"We'll just have so much fun together they'll regret later when we tell them!" Poland was looking at him expectantly, probably waiting to see similar enthusiasm. Estonia only stared back slightly helplessly, pushing his phone back into his pocket.

"Fun?" he couldn't quite manage to hide the doubt in his voice, and Poland actually looked vaguely offended at this.

"Come on Estonia, we can do loads of stuff. Let's play a game!"

"Um."

"Yeah, like…" Poland obviously desperately tried to think of something, and Estonia caught himself at wondering too. That was just the way Poland was, seemingly effortlessly pulling people into his crazy ideas, even when Estonia honestly tried to _resist_.

Suddenly, Poland's face split into a grin, his eyes bright with mischievousness. "Hide and seek! I hide, of course, like," he tapped stunned Estonia on the chest and twirled around, "now!"

"Wait, Poland!" Estonia reached for him, but his fingers only brushed the back of Poland's coat before he run across the street, paying no attention to the honking cars that he barely managed to avoid.

"He's crazy," Estonia muttered, but he wasn't Lithuania he didn't have to _do_ that. He could just turn around and head back home, even though he clearly saw the door Poland disappeared into – and seriously, was he even trying? – and it'd be so easy to follow him there, and…

Oh, damnit.

Poland was a bastard too, and Estonia was stupid, so stupid, for paying it no mind.

He crossed the street as well – properly – all the time keeping an eye on the restaurant Poland had run into. There could be another door on the other side of the building, but after just a few seconds of indecision, he followed Poland's steps after all, marching determinedly through the main entrance.

The place was crowded and warm, the smell of food hanging pleasantly about, making Estonia want to get rid of his thick jacket and choose a seat.

He stepped around a waiter, trying not to draw attention to himself since he was on a mission, and easily spotted a blonde head he was looking for. Poland was sitting by one of the tables, already without his coat and hat.

"Looks like you've found me," he smiled up when Estonia walked over and paused, unsure of how to proceed. "So?" he prompted, waving his hand at the other chair. "I think I owe you a prize. A dinner or something."

Estonia had to bite his lip to stop a smile, and then thought, to hell with it.

"Or something?"

"Yeah, before it's your turn to go hide and all. It'll be next round, you know. For a dessert."

"So, a dessert round of hide and seek," Estonia found he quite liked how that sounded, and finally started to take off his own scarf and gloves. "You know, you should have waited for me to count before you run off like that."

"Nah," Poland shook his head and fixed his hair, trying to catch his reflection in a vase standing in the middle of their table. "Would be too boring. And I bet your face was hilarious, even if I couldn't see it."

"Do you think it'd be less hilarious if you told me to count before you took off?"

Poland laughed and reached across the table to take Estonia's glasses off. Estonia blinked at the suddenly blurry world, feeling the hot blush traveling up his neck.

It was always unexpected, the tiny, affectionate things Poland was capable of doing.

"I can count for you if you want that so badly," he said, wiping Estonia's slightly foggy glasses with a napkin, before putting them on. He squinted, puffed out his cheeks, and, obviously displeased, handed the glasses back. "Even if that'll be totally unfair."

Estonia took his glasses with a smile and closed his eyes, warm and content, at last relaxing against the chair that could actually be slightly more comfortable.

As strange as it was, Poland proved himself to not be a bastard after all.

Today.


End file.
